Place the empty shallow container in which you wish to freeze the ice cream in the freezer for about 30 minutes before pouring the cream mixture into it. Ice crystals form in the inside of the container as the mixture freezes and it needs to be broken down and mixed into the rest. Do this after 30 minutes by whisking (or processing with the pulse setting) the mixture until it is smooth again. Return to the freezer and repeat every half hour for about 3 hours or until it becomes more solid and smooth. Take care not to overwork the mixture as it might become grainy.
Author: STELLA
I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.
I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.
This dessert definitely has the wow factor and can be prepared well in advanced, therefore ideal for entertaining.
The sponge cake:
225 g/8 oz self-raising flour
½ level teaspoon baking powder
225 g/8 oz caster sugar
225 g/8 oz unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup/125 ml milk and water mixed
1 large egg
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
The candied fruit:
4 tablespoons/60 ml candied fruit
4 tablespoons/60 ml rum
The vanilla ice-cream:
As a time saver, use a good quality bought vanilla ice-cream.
150 g/5 oz sugar
6 free-range eggs
1 cup/250 ml milk
1 cup/250 ml full cream
beans of 1 vanilla pod
grated peel of 1 lemon
The cream:
2 free-range egg whites
75 g (2.6 oz) sugar
the soaked and drained candied fruit
¼ cup/60 ml crème fraîche, stirred until smooth
Any left over egg whites can be frozen and thawed for future use. Freeze each egg white in an ice-cube tray and then transfer to either a freezer bag or a container. Once thawed, whites will beat to a better volume if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
The strawberry compote:
1 cup/250 ml sugar syrup
½ cup/125 ml fresh orange juice
1 cup/250 ml fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
The garnish:
a selection of red berries (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/356°F. Grease a cake pan with a loose bottom, about 22 cm/8.6 in diameter, then dredge the inside with a mixture of flour and caster sugar.
Into a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk together the egg, butter, milk and water and mix into the flour until it forms a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the cake tin and leave to cool totally.
Cut the cake into strips of 2 cm/0.7 in thick each. Line 1 ℓ/1 qrt bowl with cling wrap, then line with the strips of the sponge cake.
Soak the candied fruit in the rum for about 4 hours or overnight.
Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale. Bring the milk and cream with the vanilla beans to the boil and pour half of it onto the sugar and egg mixture.
The ice-cream recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.
Whisk well, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and return to very low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a clean bowl placed over a bowl of ice cubes and water to cool the mixture as quickly as possible. Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn, otherwise you can still-freeze it.
Fill the cake lined bowl with the ice-cream, leaving an ample hollow space to fill later with the candied fruit cream. Put back into the freezer for about 1 hour or until frozen.
Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Drain the candied fruits and add to the egg whites. Gently stir in the crème fraîche until the whole mixture becomes well blended. Fill the bowl (lined with the cake and frozen ice-cream) with this mixture and smooth with a knife. Cover and freeze overnight.
Bring the syrup and orange juice to the boil and pour over the strawberries. Leave to cool then refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve:
Turn the mold out onto a plate, slice it to reveal the center and pour the strawberry compote on the side. Garnish with a selection of the red fruits.
Categories
Tiramisú
This is a popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert with many different versions. Although this is a most delightful dessert, there is unfortunately no recipes for Tiramisú with ingredient substitutes for the weight conscious.
Serves 4
3 very fresh eggs, separated
¼ cup/60 ml sugar
1 cup/250 ml Mascarpone (make your own)
1 cup/250 ml cold, strong black coffee
80 ml/⅛ cup Noilly Prat / Marsala / Tia Maria
200 g/7 oz sponge fingers
Mascarpone is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cream cheese with a very high fat content. The texture is that of thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making your own mascarpone at home is simple, cheaper than the shop bought ones and utterly delicious. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes and enhances the flavor of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. Mascarpone can be served alone with fruit or fruit syrup; it makes charming canopies, topped with anchovies, tomato, smoked salmon, etc in fact, any topping you would normally put on top of a cream cheese snack. Mascarpone needs to be consumed within a few days.
The garnish:
unsweetened cocoa powder to finish
Over a double boiler, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Fold the mascarpone into the egg mixture, a spoonful at a time. Beat the whites separately until stiff, and fold into the mascarpone mixture.
Mix the coffee with the liqueur in a shallow bowl, then briefly dip half the sponge fingers in the liquid, soaking one side only and arrange in a single layer on the bottom of a shallow serving dish the dry side of the biscuit facing down.
Do not soak the sponge fingers for longer than 3 seconds as it falls apart easily when wet. Other liqueurs can be used but if you prefer without alcohol, the coffee should be enough.
Pour half the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers. Dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee and liqueur mixture and arrange on top of the mascarpone cream. Finally, pour over the rest of the mascarpone cream, and smooth the surface. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
This recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.
To serve:
Before serving, sprinkle generously with cocoa powder. (Using a small sieve makes this easier).
Categories
VANILLA PASTE
Make your own beautiful vanilla flavors by simply putting a few whole vanilla beans in a tall bottle (taller than the length of the vanilla bean) and fill the bottle with vodka. Close the bottle with a stopper and store in a cupboard or dark corner. After about 6 weeks you can take a peep. Pull out one of the beans, cut off the tip and squeeze out the tar-like gel, beautiful thick shiny vanilla paste — yum. No, the paste certainly does not taste of vodka but the vodka is so strongly infused with the vanilla, that a quantity of that can definitely be used as vanilla extract. Brilliant, don’t you think?
Serve it with polenta cakes and pickled beetroot.
Serves 4
The rolls can be prepared the previous day and cooked just before serving.
The filling for the veal rolls:
15 ml/1 tablespoon oil
15 ml/1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
2 rashers of bacon, finely diced
2 free-range chicken livers
5 ml/1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
30 ml/2 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
30 ml/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
5 ml/1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
1 free-range egg, beaten
pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
5ml/1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
The veal:
12 thin slices of veal
12 slices of prosciuto
50 g/1.7 oz butter
The sauce:
30 ml/1 tablespoons olive oil 125ml/½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
5 ml/1 teaspoon garlic, minced
80ml/⅓ cup beef stock
80ml/⅓ cup Marsala wine
salt
10 ml/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
10 ml/2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
If Marsala wine is not available, use port or sherry.
The polenta:
2 liters/4.3 pts milk
300 g/10.5 oz polenta
50 g/1.7 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
50 g/1.7 oz butter
1125 ml/½ cup chopped fresh chives
salt
150 g/5.2 oz butter for frying the mushrooms
500 g/1 lb mixed mushrooms
freshly ground black pepper
60 ml/¼ cup vegetable oil
Heat the oil and fry the onion and bacon until crisp, remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. Add the chicken liver to the same pan and fry for 1 minute, remove and drain, then chop the liver fine and mix well with the bacon and the rest of the filling ingredients. Divide up into twelve portions.
Between two sheets of cling-film, beat the slices of veal flat with a mallet. Put a portion of filling on top of each of the veal slices and carefully roll up the veal with the filling, taking care no to let the filling push out on the sides. Put each roll on top of a slice of prosciuto and roll up again. Secure with toothpicks. Cover and place in the refrigerator for one hour.
In a heavy based saucepan and over medium heat, melt the butter and fry the veal rolls until they are evenly cooked and golden brown – about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and keep aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Add the olive oil to the saucepan in which the veal rolls were cooked, add the shallots and over low heat saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Turn the heat up and deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine, then add the chicken stock, parsley and rosemary and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Season to taste and return the veal rolls and any accumulated juices to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the veal rolls and simmer for about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, bring 2 liters/4.3 pts milk to the boil in a large saucepan, add the polenta gradually in a thin, steady stream, stirring all the time. Add salt and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove the polenta from the heat and gently stir in the Parmesan cheese and chives. In a frying pan, heat the butter then fry the mushrooms until cooked and mix in with to the polenta which should be quite soft. Pour the hot polenta into a square dish about 2 cm/0.7 in thick. Leave to set then slice into squares of about 8 x 8 cm/3 x 3 in.
Heat a frying pan with the oil until quite hot. Gently lower the polenta squares one by one into the hot pan and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen towel.
Serve the veal rolls sliced at a slant across with the polenta and Pickled beetroot salad. Drizzle the sauce around and serve immediately.
If this recipe yields too many tarts for one sitting, it is better to half the recipe as they are at their best when still slightly warm. But it should be no problem. They are delicious and small enough to have more than one, two, three ….
Makes 30
45 pitted Marachino cherries, drained thoroughly on kitchen paper (it is available in jars at any supermarket)
150 g/ 5 oz marzipan (make your own)
2 sheets puff pastry (use bought pastry but see recipe to make your own)
½ cup/125 ml almonds, finely chopped
icing sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry to 5 mm/0.2 in thick. Use a 5 cm/2½ in pastry cutter and punch 30 rounds from the rolled pastry. Carefully place each round on the two prepared baking trays and prick each one all over with a fork. Cover them with another sheet of parchment paper, then two more baking trays on top of each baking tray. (If you don’t have enough baking trays, do this in two sessions.) This is to weigh the pastry down preventing them from rising during the cooking. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven. Lift off the extra trays and parchment paper and leave the pastry to cool.
Roll out the marzipan to about 2 mm/0.7 in and punch 30 rounds with pastry cutters slightly smaller than 5 mm/0.2 in and place on top of the cooled pastry discs. Cut each cherry in half and place 5 halves on top of each marzipan disc. Put the trays back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and when they have cooled down slightly, sprinkle over the icing sugar and the chopped almonds.
1 small butternut
75ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 spring onions
1 teaspoon/5 ml chili powder (or more if you want it stronger)
8 fresh, ripe figs, halved
40 ml balsamic vinegar
20g caster sugar
2 tablespoons/30 ml pine nuts, toasted
½ cup/125 ml soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F. Peel the butternut , cut in half lengthways, then cut into smaller wedges and pack loosely in a baking tray. Pour three tablespoons/45 ml of the olive oil over and season well with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until soft, then remove from the oven and set aside. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a frying and add the spring onions. Fry until tender and sprinkle over the chili powder. Remove from the pan and set aside. Then add the figs cut side down to the same pan and fry until lightly caramelized.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for two to four minutes, until it thickens but is still runny. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the butternut on a serving plate and add the figs and spring onions. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and scatter the cheese crumbs all round. This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.
To give time for the flavors to develop, this dish needs to be made at least 24 hours ahead, therefore it is ideal for entertaining. This is perfect as a starter to a dinner as well as for a lunch — even as a main course for dinner on a hot summers evening.
The terrine:
500 g/18 oz firm white fish fillets, half in fillets and the rest cut into small pieces
whites of 2 eggs, lightly beaten (reserve the yolks for the mayonnaise)
1 egg
salt and freshly ground white pepper
a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups/500 ml crème fraîche (make your own)
250 g/9 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons/45 ml dill, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
The vegetable mixture:
30 g/1 oz butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
English cucumber, thinly sliced
The watercress mayonnaise:
basic mayonnaise recipe using 2 egg yolks
½ cup/125 ml watercress leaves, chopped, tightly packed
1 teaspoon/5 ml dill, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml lemon juice
The garnish:
a selection of herbs
carrots, pickled cucumber, etc, cut into decorative patterns
50 g/1.7 oz red lumpfish roe
The fish mixture:
- In a processor, mince the cubed white fish, add the egg whites, whole egg, salt and cayenne pepper and blend well.
- Cover with plastic film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Process the fish mixture again, slowly adding half the crème fraîche, scraping down the sides of the bowl, then slowly add the remaining crème fraîche.
- Place in the refrigerator on a bowl of ice for at least half and hour.
- Season the whole white fish fillets with salt.
- Season the smoked salmon with black pepper and dill.
The vegetable mixture:
- In the meantime, in a saucepan melt the butter, add the onion and cook over low heat for a few minutes.
- Add the cucumber, stirring until the moisture has evaporated.
- Spoon into a dish, allow to cool, then refrigerate.
The mayonnaise:
- Process the watercress, dill and onion and stir into the mayonnaise.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in the lemon juice.
This mayonnrecipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.
The terrine layering:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
- Paint the inside of a terrine dish with a little olive oil, and on the bottom place the herbs, the small vegetable pieces and the lump fish roe decoratively (use your imagination), and press down into the oil to secure it.
- Now, carefully place half the white fish fillets over the decorations, covering the whole bottom part of the terrine dish — the “good” side of the fish facing downwards.
- Spoon half of the fish mixture over the fish fillets and evenly spread it around.
- Then cover the fish mixture with half the salmon.
- Spread the rest of the fish mixture over the salmon, and add the rest of the white fish fillets.
- Cover with the rest of the fish mixture, the rest of the salmon, and finally the vegetable mixture.
- Lightly knock the terrine on the worktop to force out any air and cover with buttered foil. Secure the lid on top of the terrine.
- Fill a large baking dish with warm water and place the terrine dish in it. Bake at 160°C/320°F for 1½ hours, then remove from the oven.
- Remove the lid, then place a piece of board cut big enough the cover the terrine directly.
- Place a weight on top and let the terrine cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 24 – 48 hours.
To serve:
When ready to serve, turn the terrine out onto a plate and drain carefully before turning it out onto a cutting board. Cut the terrine into slices with a serrated knife and serve with the watercress mayonnaise and some extra lumpfish roe scattered over.
This dish is a variation of the Beef Wellington in a way. It is, however, fabulous for dinner parties and is always enjoyed by all.
Serves 4
The beef roll:
450 g/1 lb mixed mushrooms
salt
8 green asparagus, trimmed and blanched in salted water
8-10 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
700 g/1.6 lbs beef fillet, trimmed
2 tablespoons/30 ml wholegrain mustard
450 g/1 lb puff pastry
1 eggs, whisked, for glazing
The sauce:
1 cup/250 ml red wine
1½ cup/375 ml beef stock, heated
the reserved mushroom paste
½ cup/125 ml full cream
The cauliflower cream:
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 medium size cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 cup/250 ml full cream
1 tablespoon/15 ml crème fraîche
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
2 teaspoons/10 ml lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The peas:
2 cups/500 ml peas (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 tablespoon/15 ml sugar
salt
2 teaspoons/10 ml mint, finely chopped
- In a food processor, chop the mushrooms until a rough paste forms. Transform to a non-stick frying pan and dry fry the mushrooms until all its natural moisture has evaporated. Season and put aside to cool.
- Cut the beef horizontally but not right through. Stop about 3 cm/1¼ in away from the edge.
- Fold the fillet open like a book and place between two sheets of plastic film.
- With a mallet, lightly bash the meat all over to get an even thickness.
- Sprinkle with salt on the cut side then spread the cooked mushrooms evenly all over (reserving 2 tablespoons/30 ml for the sauce) , leaving a small space on the edges all round.
- Cut the asparagus tips off and set aside.
- Place the stems in the center horizontally, then roll up the beef. Secure with a skewer or toothpicks.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until very hot and quickly sear the steak all round.
- Set aside to cool.
- When the meat has cooled almost completely, roll out a large piece of plastic film and place the prosciutto alongside each other to more or less the size you will need to cover the fillet all round.
- Remove the skewers or toothpicks from the meat, then spread mustard all over the outside.
- Place the meat in the center of the prosciutto and with the help of the plastic film, roll the fillet with the prosciutto into a neat roll.
- Twist the ends of the plastic film to prevent it from splitting open and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F and grease a baking tray.
- When ready to cook, roll out the pastry into a rectangle, unwrap the beef carefully and place in the center of the puff pastry.
- Brush the pastry edges all round with the egg wash then fold it over the beef and seal.
- Trim the ends of the pastry and with the help of the egg wash, seal the ends neatly.
- Paint the pastry all over with the egg wash and lift the roll onto the baking tray.
- Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the roll from the refrigerator and brush again with the egg wash.
- Lightly score the top of the pastry and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
- Turn the baking pan around and lower the heat to 180°C/356°F. Bake for 10 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Heat the pan in which you seared the beef and deglaze it with the red wine.
- When all the alcohol has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry, add the stock and reduce to half.
- Add the mushroom paste and cook until the sauce has reduced to a half.
- Stir in the cream and let it cook until it thickens.
- Strain, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour back into the pan to keep warm.
- After the beef roll has rested and you are ready to cut it, pour the juices that leaked out of the roll into the sauce and mix.
- Meanwhile, for the cauliflower, bring water in a saucepan to the boil and add the butter and cauliflower. (The water should only come halfway up the cauliflower).
- Cook until the cauliflower is tender. (The water should have reduced down to about half).
- Pour all the content of the saucepan (and the water) into a food processor and blend until smooth. (It should be the consistency of thick whipped cream).
- Add the cream, crème fraîche, nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
- Add 1 teaspoon/5 ml of lemon juice and taste, then add more if required.
- Pour back into the saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the peas, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon/5 ml of sugar.
- Let it heat through over low heat until the sugar has melted.
- Add the chopped mint and set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
This is a very light and fresh starter. It is very important not to overcook any of the ingredients; the whole dish should maintain its crispiness.
Serves 4
The prawns:
400 g (14 oz) raw prawns, de-veined and shelled
(reserve shells)
2 cups/500 ml fish stock, heated
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt
The vegetables:
1 cup/250 ml carrots, cut into cubes
1 cup/250 ml cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 small courgette, cut into 1 cm pieces
salt
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon saffron thread
The mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons/30 ml mayonnaise
3 drops of Tobasco sauce
1 small shallot, finely chopped
The dressing:
½ cup/125 ml fresh cream
1 pinch saffron thread
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml dill sprigs
The garnish:
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
½ red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon/15 ml parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml French tarragon, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml basil, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper
mixed baby salad leaves
Bring the stock with the salt to a boil and poach the prawns with the reserved shells for 3-5 minutes in it. Remove the prawns from the stock and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strain the stock and discard the shells. Refrigerate the stock for another use.
In a saucepan, put the carrots and cover with just enough water, add salt, butter, garlic and the saffron and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then add the cauliflower and cook for another minute, then finally add the courgette and cook for 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towel until ready to use. (The vegetables should still have a slight bite to them.)
Mix the mayonnaise with the Tobasco sauce and chopped shallot and set aside.
Bring the cream to the boil, then add the saffron, salt and pepper, and dill. Boil down to about half the amount, then strain, season and set aside to cool.
To serve:
Mix the tomato, pepper, herbs and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the mayonnaise to the cooked vegetables and mix gently. Set aside.
Chop the prawns roughly and mix with half the creamy dressing.
Place a pastry cutter of 7 cm diameter in the center of each serving plate. Divide the vegetables and spoon into each cutter, then repeat with the prawns on top. Scatter the tomato, pepper and herb mixture around and drizzle the cream over. Gently remove the pastry cutter. Top the cocktail with the mixed baby salad leaves and serve immediately.
Fine Dining for You 